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Forest Legacy

Valuable, Beautiful Forests--Forever

Forest Legacy is a program established by Congress as part of the 1990 Farm Bill. It helps identify and protect environmentally important forest lands that are threatened by conversion to non-forest uses.

Indiana's Forest Legacy Program will identify environmentally important forests and protect them by purchasing the development rights from willing sellers. The owners retain all other rights, including the right to harvest timber and sell or bequest the remaining rights.

Once purchased, the development rights are held by the state in perpetuity. Federal funding can be used for up to 75% of the purchase price for the development rights.

Six Legacy Areas in Indiana were identified by the Indiana Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee in 1998. An Assessment of Need for the Legacy program was approved by the U.S. Forest Service in December, 1998.

The DNR Division of Forestry is accepting nominations for Forest Legacy parcels within the designated Legacy Areas.